Contents
- 1 What does America literally mean?
- 2 Where does the word America come from and what does it mean?
- 3 What is the meaning of America?
- 4 What language is word America?
- 5 What did the Native Americans call America?
- 6 What was America called before it was called America?
- 7 Why are the Americas called the Americas?
- 8 Why do we say the United States of America?
- 9 What was America called under British rule?
- 10 What did the Vikings call America?
- 11 Who came to the US first?
- 12 Are Americans British?
- 13 Why did Britain lose America?
- 14 Is America owned by England?
- 15 Why do Americans speak English?
- 16 Did the British rule China?
- 17 What is difference between American English and British English?
- 18 Why do British people say bloody?
What does America literally mean?
The name America was coined by Martin Waldseemüller from Americus Vespucius, the Latinized version of the name of Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512), the Italian explorer who mapped South America’s east coast and the Caribbean Sea in the early 16th century. … The adjective American subsequently denoted the New World.
Where does the word America come from and what does it mean?
America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who set forth the then revolutionary concept that the lands that Christopher Columbus sailed to in 1492 were part of a separate continent.
What is the meaning of America?
noun. short for the United States of America. Also called: the Americas the American continent, including North, South, and Central America.
What language is word America?
Largely, in Latin America and for Latin Americans, the term “America” means Latin America, and “American,” Latin American.
What did the Native Americans call America?
Turtle Island is a name for Earth or North America, used by some Indigenous peoples in Canada and the United States, as well as by some Indigenous rights activists. The name is based on a common North American Indigenous creation story.
What was America called before it was called America?
On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted a new name for what had been called the “United Colonies.” The moniker United States of America has remained since then as a symbol of freedom and independence.
Why are the Americas called the Americas?
The naming of the Americas, or America, occurred shortly after Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas in 1492. It is generally accepted that the name derives from Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer, who explored the new continents in the following years.
Why do we say the United States of America?
4) One of the answers on Yahoo website gives this explanation; Now, America is the name of the large landmass which was found in 16th century. “North America” and “South America” are the proper nouns, names for two continents. So we won’t use “the” before them. … So they called themselves “the United States of America”.
What was America called under British rule?
American colonies, also called thirteen colonies or colonial America, the 13 British colonies that were established during the 17th and early 18th centuries in what is now a part of the eastern United States.
What did the Vikings call America?
Vinland, Vineland or Winland (Old Norse: Vínland) was an area of coastal North America explored by Vikings. Leif Erikson first landed there around 1000 CE, nearly five centuries before the voyages of Christopher Columbus and John Cabot.
Who came to the US first?
The Spanish were among the first Europeans to explore the New World and the first to settle in what is now the United States. By 1650, however, England had established a dominant presence on the Atlantic coast. The first colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.
Are Americans British?
English Americans, or Anglo-Americans are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England.
…
English Americans.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Throughout the entire United States, but especially in the east central U.S., in and around Appalachia, upper New England and the Mormon west | |
| California | 4,946,554 |
| Texas | 3,083,323 |
| Ohio | 2,371,236 |
Why did Britain lose America?
There was no hope of conquering America — the territory was too big and available resources too meager. At the outbreak of hostilities, the British Army numbered just 45,000 men, spread over a substantial global empire.
Is America owned by England?
These colonies were formally known as British America and the British West Indies before the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and formed the United States of America.
…
British America.
| British America and the British West Indies | |
|---|---|
| Capital | Administered from London, England |
Why do Americans speak English?
The use of English in the United States is a result of British colonization of the Americas. The first wave of English-speaking settlers arrived in North America during the 17th century, followed by further migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Did the British rule China?
Although British imperialism never politically took hold in mainland China, as it did in India or Africa, its cultural and political legacy is still evident today. Honk Kong remains a significant center of global finance and its government still functioned in much of the same ways as it did under British colonialism.
What is difference between American English and British English?
Aside from spelling and vocabulary, there are certain grammar differences between British and American English. … The British are also more likely to use formal speech, such as ‘shall’, whereas Americans favour the more informal ‘will’ or ‘should’.
Why do British people say bloody?
Bloody. Don’t worry, it’s not a violent word… it has nothing to do with “blood”.”Bloody” is a common word to give more emphasis to the sentence, mostly used as an exclamation of surprise. Something may be “bloody marvellous” or “bloody awful“. Having said that, British people do sometimes use it when expressing anger…
What does America literally mean?
The name America was coined by Martin Waldseemüller from Americus Vespucius, the Latinized version of the name of Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512), the Italian explorer who mapped South America’s east coast and the Caribbean Sea in the early 16th century. … The adjective American subsequently denoted the New World.
Where does the word America come from and what does it mean?
America is named after Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer who set forth the then revolutionary concept that the lands that Christopher Columbus sailed to in 1492 were part of a separate continent.
What is the meaning of America?
noun. short for the United States of America. Also called: the Americas the American continent, including North, South, and Central America.
What language is word America?
Largely, in Latin America and for Latin Americans, the term “America” means Latin America, and “American,” Latin American.
What did the Native Americans call America?
Turtle Island is a name for Earth or North America, used by some Indigenous peoples in Canada and the United States, as well as by some Indigenous rights activists. The name is based on a common North American Indigenous creation story.
What was America called before it was called America?
On September 9, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted a new name for what had been called the “United Colonies.” The moniker United States of America has remained since then as a symbol of freedom and independence.
Why are the Americas called the Americas?
The naming of the Americas, or America, occurred shortly after Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas in 1492. It is generally accepted that the name derives from Amerigo Vespucci, the Italian explorer, who explored the new continents in the following years.
Why do we say the United States of America?
4) One of the answers on Yahoo website gives this explanation; Now, America is the name of the large landmass which was found in 16th century. “North America” and “South America” are the proper nouns, names for two continents. So we won’t use “the” before them. … So they called themselves “the United States of America”.
What was America called under British rule?
American colonies, also called thirteen colonies or colonial America, the 13 British colonies that were established during the 17th and early 18th centuries in what is now a part of the eastern United States.
What did the Vikings call America?
Vinland, Vineland or Winland (Old Norse: Vínland) was an area of coastal North America explored by Vikings. Leif Erikson first landed there around 1000 CE, nearly five centuries before the voyages of Christopher Columbus and John Cabot.
Who came to the US first?
The Spanish were among the first Europeans to explore the New World and the first to settle in what is now the United States. By 1650, however, England had established a dominant presence on the Atlantic coast. The first colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607.
Are Americans British?
English Americans, or Anglo-Americans are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England.
…
English Americans.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Throughout the entire United States, but especially in the east central U.S., in and around Appalachia, upper New England and the Mormon west | |
| California | 4,946,554 |
| Texas | 3,083,323 |
| Ohio | 2,371,236 |
Why did Britain lose America?
There was no hope of conquering America — the territory was too big and available resources too meager. At the outbreak of hostilities, the British Army numbered just 45,000 men, spread over a substantial global empire.
Is America owned by England?
These colonies were formally known as British America and the British West Indies before the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and formed the United States of America.
…
British America.
| British America and the British West Indies | |
|---|---|
| Capital | Administered from London, England |
Why do Americans speak English?
The use of English in the United States is a result of British colonization of the Americas. The first wave of English-speaking settlers arrived in North America during the 17th century, followed by further migrations in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Did the British rule China?
Although British imperialism never politically took hold in mainland China, as it did in India or Africa, its cultural and political legacy is still evident today. Honk Kong remains a significant center of global finance and its government still functioned in much of the same ways as it did under British colonialism.
What is difference between American English and British English?
Aside from spelling and vocabulary, there are certain grammar differences between British and American English. … The British are also more likely to use formal speech, such as ‘shall’, whereas Americans favour the more informal ‘will’ or ‘should’.
Why do British people say bloody?
Bloody. Don’t worry, it’s not a violent word… it has nothing to do with “blood”.”Bloody” is a common word to give more emphasis to the sentence, mostly used as an exclamation of surprise. Something may be “bloody marvellous” or “bloody awful“. Having said that, British people do sometimes use it when expressing anger…
What America Means To Me
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In honor of our last celebrated holiday, Independence Day, I thought I would take a look at what America really means and what it was founded on. I’ll be honest; I know the Fourth of July does not really make a lot of people want to go do research on the 1700s and the super powers and governments of the time, but as a history major, I will take any excuse I can get.
If you look back at how America was founded and why, it really is an incredible story that we as Americans can be proud of. From the very beginning, the United States of America was different than any other country, due to who founded it and what principles were established for this country. This difference can be easily seen in the Declaration of Independence. The most famous lines in American history, and pretty substantial ones for the rest of world history as well, came in the first three lines of the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, “We the People…;” this simple phrase changed everything and I will tell you why.
The super powers at the time were all ruled by a monarch, so a country that was founded by the people without a ruling class or aristocracy like European countries, was completely “revolutionary.” The Founding Fathers did not stop there, The Declaration goes on to state that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal…endowed…with certain inalienable rights, among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These amazing words gave the common person just as much right and protection as the wealthy. With the Declaration, America declared its independence from not only the rule of England but from the binds of its government systems. How amazing is that? The U.S and its beliefs changed the course of history with a single declaration! A little geeky, I know, but our history is remarkable.
Looking at America today, we do not always see this amazing equalizer, instead we see some of America’s greatest mistakes and awful happenings like war and destruction. Focusing on these type of things can cause us to forget what America was founded upon. I know that America is not perfect — no country is — but I still believe in America as a great nation; not because of the bad, but because of where we came from. America sprouted from a new noble idea that everyone holds a right to have a say in what happens in their government and has a right to pursue life, liberty, and happiness. Though Independence Day has passed, the Presidential Election is coming up and we should take our time and consider what it means to us. Will this election be something of shame due to atrocities or something of great pride for the noble beginning? I encourage you to think about what you want America to mean to you, because the fate of America and its legacy rests in our hands and we have the potential to make it the country that we have always wanted and dreamed it could be.
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I am a native citizen of the USA.
Is it incorrect to refer to the country as America?
It depends on context. Within the USA, it is generally understood that «America» refers to the USA (whereas «the Americas», for example, refers to the combined continents of North and South America). Note: This isn’t really because of «narrow-mindedness» or anything like that, it’s simply because, over time, it has become a norm in AE to use it as shorthand.
Outside of the USA, it depends on both where you are and the context of the conversation. For example, the use of «America» in other countries in the Americas may be offensive to some, or at least ambiguous. Outside of the Americas, probably not offensive (unless you are in a country closely tied to a country in the Americas), but certainly with the rare possibility of ambiguity.
And even if it is, won’t people from around the world understand that the USA = America?
As mentioned above, it really depends. There is no global rule, and the interpretation will depend on where you are, what the common usage of «America» is in the country you are in, and the personal beliefs of whoever you are talking to.
If you are concerned or unsure, simply say «United States». While that is also technically ambiguous (there are other states that are united, actually the official name for Mexico translates to the «United Mexican States»; but for whatever reason it has become more commonly known as «Mexico»), it is commonly understood to mean the USA (even our government uses this shorthand globally, e.g. at the customs office you will see «United States Customs»), and it won’t conflict with any other persons’ use of «America». Additionally, within the USA, «United States» is commonly used and understood and won’t raise any eyebrows or cause any confusion; it’s a good global safe bet.
If you’re really concerned, «USA» is 100% safe in and out of the country.
And, of course, within the USA, you can always say «America» without issue.
As Marcel Turing noted in the question comments, it isn’t really an issue of «correctness» as much as it is an issue of common usage. Of course, in reality, it’s slightly more complex, because while in an ideal world people wouldn’t take offense at things other people innocently say, that isn’t how it works. So you always need to at least be aware of local attitudes (and again, when in doubt, just go with «USA»).
Personally, when I’m home I say «America», and when I’m travelling (even to e.g. Canada) I say «United States». This has never caused an issue (even in Mexico).
Edit: As for the demonym, as ntoskrnl points out in the question comments, «American» is the official one (but is shared with the continental demonym) and is usually understood, depending on the context, as referring to the country (with the same caveats as above; and unless the context is continents) with the only other real global option being «US Citizen». Wikipedia has a good article on Names for US Citizens. It also gives a nice overview of «American» in Demonyms: Cultural Problems.
The adjectival form has essentially the same issues, but without the «US Citizen» option.
ChrisW’s answer gives a nice overview of context.
Please note this is all based mostly on personal experience, not so much canonical reference.
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